FILTER BY STATE

Carolyn Zantis

The perception from a young age that human beings live on the surface of themselves and so suffer from their own unconsciousness. I wanted to reach inside to soothe the hurt, and help people to see...

Kate McMaugh

I originally chose to study psychology as an 18 year old who was interested in brains and behaviour but I did not come from an academic family at all (I am the first person in my family to finish...

Bridie Fitzgerald

Years spent working as a music therapist working with clients who had a range of issues, I found that I was constantly required to adapt to my clients needs and take on new challenges to help them...

Joshua Comyn

I have always been fascinated by the human mind, and it was through theatre, literature and philosophy that I originally pursued this interest. My own journey of self-discovery and healing led me to...

Tom Skotidas

Ever since my early 20s, I have wanted to help people become resilient and thrive. I got married young (25 years old), and at that time, due to the cultural pressures I experienced around providing...

Nicole Kinnaird

My choice to study Social Work initially was due to a strong interest in working with children and the idea of having fun in my job was very important and appealing. Out of rebellion I decided I...

Andrew Macdonald

I have always been interested in human sciences and the connection between thoughts, feelings and emotions. I started out volunteering as a counsellor 15 years ago and found I learnt so much about...

Suzanne Rosenberg

My own personal (ongoing) journey as a client of very good therapy. As I gained understanding and better emotional functioning, improved relationships and healing in so many ways, I wanted to support...

Stephanie de Niese

This profession was always something I knew was meant for me. I decided on this pathway at the age of 12 and although had hit the usual stumbling blocks along the way, I eventually found my place. I...

Trudy Clutterbok

Art and literature explore what it is to be a human being and some art works and books explore psychoanalysis in particular. Studying counselling and then psychoanalysis was a logical extension of my...

Marzena Diard

My own experience of transformation through Gestalt Therapy.

Amanda Dounis

As a young girl still in high school I was always reading books surrounding mental wellness and anything motivational. As it turned out, as an adult all the education and training that I did...

Sirini Kularatne-Samarapathi

I have had an interest from a very young age to connect with people - to be present in their difficulties, to sit with their uncomfortable emotions. I guess that was what eventually got transpired in...

Anthony Hubeck

My own experience of change and quest for self knowledge.

Zoe Hedges

Counselling has been a persistent theme throughout my life. Starting with friends at school talking to me about their parents, boyfriend, friend, sport and study problems. My fascination with the...

Rachael Carter

The power of receiving unconditional support from a therapist was life changing for me.

John Bacash

I believe in service and compassion as a way of being which gives back to me as much as I give to others.

Ruth Edwards

I was drawn to the counselling profession from my teen years when I felt that there were insufficient supports for teens in high schools. Although my route to becoming a counsellor was long, it was...

Stefanie Marris

I have always been fascinated by people and why they do the things they do! Even after studying psychology and sociology 20 plus years ago I would find myself drawn to books and training that was...

Jim Filshie

A combination of things have led me here: my deep interest in engaging with and getting to know others, my increasing understanding of how the world and society impacts positively and adversely on...

Linda Sawrey

Significant family illnesses which changed my world overnight as a teenager, set my path towards caring and supporting. Firstly I went into nursing and specialised in Patient Safety and Quality....

Julie Chalmers

I wanted to help people and make a difference.

Natalie Meijer

I chose this profession at the age of 23 after spending two years travelling in Asia particularly India and felt I wanted to make a difference in the world. I had finished a bachelors degree just...

Michele Stewart

Difficult childhood experiences and getting 'lost' emotionally in my late teens/ twenties lead to a thirst for understanding what it means to be fully human. Training as a therapist seemed the route...

Max Rutherford

From an early age I have been interested in science, the arts, literature, philosophy and the nature of reality. My interest in psychotherapy grew naturally from these earlier preoccupations.

Christopher Seager

I have lived experience of mental health and addiction and without the assistance of counsellors I wouldn't be where I am today! I love working with and getting to know people and I couldn't think of...

Carolyn Choy

I've always been interested in listening to different people's life stories: how they've endured and overcome challenging times, as well as what drives them, what is their passion, what is it that...

Ajay Hawkes

After many years of personal development work and a passion for mindfulness practice, I chose to find a way of making these practices central to my work. To work at something I love. I find this very...

Bronwen Bailey

Becoming a psychologist was a mid life career change for me. After some years working in the field of human rights, addressing global issues I decided that I wanted to work with people on an...

Shaun McMahon

I had a rough start to life, which ignited a burning desire to answer a simple question: why do people do what they do? As early as my teens I developed an interest in psychology and self-development,...

Julian O'Sullivan

Personal experiences of suffering and healing inspired me to want to provide psychotherapy to people to help them overcome their suffering.

Rebecca Anderson

I want to help people to understand why they feel and behave the way they do. When people understand *why* they do something, they have the awareness and power to change things and move from just...

Karen Anderson

I grew up in a family as one of four children and my younger sister was severely intellectually disabled. I know this to have been a powerful influence upon me at many levels. I was very attuned to...

Ernst Meyer

After a crisis in my private life I was looking for different ways to live my life. I enrolled in a training program for psychotherapy, and over time I transitioned from being helped to being the...

Michelle Lam

I grew up in a family dedicated to assisting others through the provision of medical and health services to the community so it is hardly surprising that I developed a strong interest in helping...

Vassilka Dimitrova-Isbell

I have always been interested in understanding the human condition. All my endeavors, all my studies, and everything I've done is related to that. On reflection, it seems that our professions choose...

Nigel Bailey

I have always been fascinated by human psychology and behaviour. I worked in the creative industry for many years where this was regularly interpreted and applied from a very particular perspective....

Lisa Champion

My career started in the field of exercise science. I specialised as an exercise therapist, helping people overcome chronic pain issues through movement and postural awareness, recognition of habits,...

Sara Beresford Terry

I trained in Social Work in the UK (1982) and was passionate about my work with children and families in various government and non-government agencies. I continued this work when I first migrated to...

Melodina Thomas

Counselling addresses fundamental aspects of human well-being, which I find exciting. It empowers individuals to overcome challenges, achieve personal growth, and lead more fulfilling lives. The...

Ashley White

I've always struggled with superficial conversation, preferring to hear about what is meaningful to people. The idea of discussing what matters most and finding ways to help move towards that with...

Leigh Fraser-Gray

I survived childhood trauma. I now assist others to move from a sense of powerlessness and distress through to surviving and then thriving. I specialise in recovery based transformation processes.

Stefan Durlach

For as long as I can remember I've been interested in how life works, its meaning and purpose, the why's and how's of existence. Philosophy, psychology, and spirituality deal with these issues, and...

Tamara Pallos

I originally trained and worked as a lawyer but didn't enjoy it. I had found therapy really valuable in my own life (I have a complex trauma background) and wanted to be able to support others in a...

Philip Hilder

I became interested in counselling and psychotherapy when I witnessed significant alcohol abuse in rural Australia. That prompted me in 1990 to begin study in alcohol and other drug counselling. I...

Lisa Barrett

I think the biggest factor that has always drawn me back to counselling, regardless of what other paths I have taken along the way, is my never-ending sense of wonder about human beings - what drives...

Petra Lansdown

I started my career in Counselling later in life, I have always had a strong interest in psychology and curious about the mind and body and how they both connect. I am passionate about providing...

Jennifer Fox

A spiritual experience I had when I was 12 years old, following that inner thread led me to this profession - an inner and professional life journey.

Moira Joyce

I am naturally focussed on others and what is going on for them, and am 'hard wired' to help find solutions to life issues. I see us all facing some kind of suffering or difficulty at times, and this...

Jacquie Flecknoe-Brown

I was always interested in communication, and the more experienced I became in my profession, the deeper I wanted to explore the therapy modalities. I worked for some time in an acute psychiatric ward...

Nina Linder

I trained as a Registered Nurse and worked in Nursing for over 20 years. Life circumstances changed and I then worked in family services for many years working with adults and children who had...

Debby Heath

I want to be of service and know that counselling and psychotherapy can support profound growth and healing that has a 'ripple effect' in the world. I believe this work is a 'calling' more than a job...

Sally Walsh

we all deserve to give ourselves more choice and to live a fulfilling life

Jacinta Franich

I have always been drawn to psychotherapy and counselling and initially started training to be a counsellor when I was 28 years old. I found that I didn't have the life experience or maturity at that...

Lauren Sokolski

I was interested in working with people and being part of their journey towards wellness and wholeness. I discovered that the work enabled me to do my own work on my personal issues through...

Tim Harvey

I reached a critical time in my life when I was not sure how to carry on. I joined Lifeline as a trainee telephone counsellor, and their training taught me how to listen to others (and myself) with...

Urja Refalo

I first came to psychotherapy in the early eighties. At this time I started my own personal journey by joining therapy groups, partaking in individual therapy and attending personal development...

Nicol Thomas

The intrinsic quality that each subject has something to say that needs to be witnessed and heard. The idea and feeling that one's voice could be buried under layers of categories, diagnoses and...

Adam Szmerling

I have never been able to think of any profession more interesting than dynamic psychotherapy, where we encounter the unconscious every day. Not that other professions or relationships are without...

Fenella Hansen

It was something I had always considered, but initially I went down the IT path. After the death of my Mother I decided to pursue becoming a counsellor. I'd always been interested in what makes humans...

Corina Johns

It's the only thing I've wanted to do since the age of about 15 when the idea first came to me. I've always had a gift for listening to and helping people, and genuinely love getting to know and...

Ash Rehn

I have always been interested in people and their stories. I think our identity - who we are - is no't produced privately and individually but through interaction with others. We benefit from the...

Mary A McIntyre

I have a passion for understanding people and offering the right help at the right time. Past challenges in my life like stress and chronic pain have shifted due to having had good therapy in various...

Lachlan Murray

I think it's fair to say that this profession is a calling first and a choice second; it certainly feels as if that's how it's unfolded for me. Having been on the receiving end of some excellent...

Morag Paterson

I have always been a deep thinker and observer of life around me. In my 20's, I had my own internal struggles and found myself reading self help and personal growth books which were validating,...

Lia Lawton

I remember when I was about 25 I went to a psychologist and told her something, her response to me was Now I am not judging you, but do you think that is a good life choice? I felt very judged...

George Turnure

I have always been curious about human behaviour, what makes people the way they are, the things they do. I have always been interested in others' experiences, what they liked and disliked, why they...

Stelle Shakti

In 2015 I experienced a very significant Plot Twist to Life and the only way to recover was to embark on a personal healing journey and a path of Soul discovery. It is during this time that I felt a...

Matthew Austin

My parents were foster parents and i was exposed to social workers and social services at a young age. Through my social work career i got to know colleagues who were counsellors and was drawn to...

Claire Baxter

The exploration of subjectivity.

Kathleen Goossens

My training and experience in health started from a medical paradigm which over time felt limiting. I was drawn to individual holistic work which led me to training in naturopathy and body work. After...

Stefanie Hagger

I chose the counselling profession because I have a strong desire to help people improve their lives. I have an interest in people transitioning through challenging experiences. Some transitions...

Natalie Anderson

I am drawn to working with individuals who may be dealing with challenges which can negatively affect mental health as I know from experience that whether these create or trigger trauma, and how long...

Nick Batty

I have always had a strong interest in human behaviour, and in 2013 I followed my passion and commenced the pathway to become a Psychologist.

Karen Thomas

In the early 2000s I reached a cross-road and a knowing that something was missing in my personal life and in my career. So I began studying psychotherapy and took classes at the Cairnmillar Insitute...

Lisa Moore

I am drawn to counselling by a genuine desire to make a positive impact on people's lives. I care deeply about the well-being of others and find immense satisfaction in providing support during...

Michael Dods

I've spent lot's of time with people from all walks of life and backgrounds and am an inherently curious person who tries to understand people and human relationships. I've always been a big reader...

Tim Coates

Life. I have actually written a blog about this. But the short answer is that I don't want anyone to go down the path I did. I have always been someone that listened to people and help (support)...

Jila Baker

I have observed a lot of pain and the possibility of healing is available that gives hope to individuals and future generations.

Michael Booth

My own experience of trauma and chronic pain and how inadequately they are treated in Australia set me on the path to discovering which approaches are effective. Having found what can work, I was...

Rachel Troia

The quest to understand myself more and love myself more. I am inspired to help others do the same.

Philipa Thornton

Having worked for many years to become a licensed psychologist my values inspire me to be of service to others in a meaningful way. It's important to keep growing and learning.. This leads me to...

Petroula Quinn

I have always been drawn to helping people and therefore I gravitated to Psychology. I thoroughly enjoy what I do - assisting clients through difficult times and helping them live out their potential.

Stephanie Thompson

I had a most wonderful Organisational Psychology professor at university who was also a highly effective counsellor. He got tangible, fast results for people. This was against a backdrop of...

Christina Taylor

Once a victim of incest, it took some years and excellent therapists to see myself as a strong woman, able to be a loving and sexual partner. I believe that all people, young and old, deserve to have...

Joanne Taylor

An early interest in psychology during my first degree.

Rina Taub

I was always attracted to the idea of working with people and had a belief that expressing yourself and exploring problems was useful (I suspect my mother's kitchen table conversations with my friends...

Julie Sweet

My own subjective experience of psychotherapy led me to choose psychotherapy as a profession. As I worked introspectively with my therapist, I was asked the miracle question, also known as the magic...

Mano Suttner

Often our conscious - or unconscious - intentions do manifest, and one of my life intentions has been to reduce suffering and to be part of creating abundance.

Nerine Strachan

I noticed a natural ability to converse with, and understand others. People seem to trust me very quickly and open up, naturally feeling safe in my presence. This combined with personal challenging...

Arthur Stabolidis

I find people infinitely fascinating and find helping people a satisfying endeavor.

Sharon Snir

One can often remember a moment in their own childhood when somethng calls to you and you know that is who I am. When I was aout 5 years old I watched a Christmas movie on television about a husband...

Lidia Smirnov

I was working full time in Human Resources and pregnant with my 2nd child when I experienced a health scare, and this propelled me to pursue a long held dream to retrain in the area of psychotherapy...

Matty Silver

After being a volunteer Life Line telephone counsellor for many years, I decided to start the ACAP counselling course. My first and second internship was with Impotence Australia - a telephone service...

Jess Siegle

After an incredibly rewarding career in Medical Research and Cardiology, I experienced a severe emotional and physical breakdown, which was in part due to unaddressed mental health issues stemming...

Hadass Segal

I have always been interested in the human condition and in relationships and how to enhance them.

Jenny Sanbrook

I went straight from high school to university and had no idea what I wanted to do at first. I knew that I enjoyed being around people, understanding the way people think and was good at understanding...

Louise Kanjee

Self-growth and learning about the self and supporting others in this has been a passion of mine since I was young. Creating a space where people feel heard, held and supported is something that...

Jessica Ryan-Zeman

I think like most of us that end up in helping professions it was because of my own struggles with my mental health especially as an adolescent. I remember thinking at the time how much I had wished I...

Amber Rules

I have family experience with addiction and mental illness, and as a young adult, I received support and care from some wonderful therapists who helped me make sense of it all. I was always so...

Karen Rushbrook

I began my career as a teacher and quickly realised that children and adolescents need a more holistic approach to their well-being. Often, children who struggle at school have other issues in their...

Deborah Rollings

I have always been interested in the deeper meaning & patterns in life

Nicole Rikos

My personal experiences of trauma, adversity and health challenges in my teens and early 20's are what led me to start studying and learning about all things mental health and healing related - mind,...

Lauren Reiners

I saw a counsellor as a child and found the process to be so helpful, and insightful. It allowed me space to be able to express whatever it was that I was feeling, without judgement. Since I was a...

Victoria Redbard

The nature of my personality has always had people open up about the things they don't usually speak to people about. I noticed this from a young age and became very curious about what it takes to...

Robyn Price

Psychotherapy eventually found me. The seed was planted many years ago as I recovered from a bout of depression in my university days. The catalyst for recovery was a creative dance class run by a...

Karen Potter

A strong interest in understanding my own and others' internal worlds and relationships as well as a desire to help others in their lives.

Lara Petrulis

As I reflect on this question, I'm not sure if I can say that it was a definite choice that I made. Given my supportive family environment, it seemed a natural progression to continue offering care to...

Anna Petinsky

Psychotherapy is what my heart always knew it wanted to do. From the moment I read my first psychology book, I knew this is my passion. No specific event led me here, just an innate curiosity for...

Lisa Paul

I saw there was a gap in the health system in supporting mothers and fathers especially with the transition to parenthood. Everybody focuses on the birth of this baby and the baby itself when it comes...

Martina Palombi

During a therapy session in my early twenties it dawned on me that if I trained as a therapist I could support others through the same process I was experiencing myself. A process I was deeply...

Alexandra Page

I grew up with a vision impairment and received support for a number of helping professionals, this I think inspired in me an appreciation for the benefit of helping others.

Margaret Bennett

I loved my training, and working with people. What brought me, especially to trauma work was lived experiences as well as rigorous training and deep faith in people's ability to not only heal but to...

Matthew Evans

I wanted to make a contribution to people's health, happiness and wellbeing. I had a longstanding personal interest in the field of psychology and it seemed a natural step to turn it into my...

Reed Everingham

During my early twenties, I had my first encounter with psychotherapy. Working with a wonderful practitioner for several years profoundly imprinted on me. For the first time, I truly understood what...

Rosa Oyta

When I was young, I had a natural tendency to help my friends with their problems. I felt fulfilled when I could offer them guidance and support. This led me to develop a strong interest in counseling...

Debbie O'Connor

Since I was a child I have always been interested and curious about people, what makes them the unique individuals they are, and have always had a keen desire to help people in distress. I began my...

Jacqueline Nevin

Lived experience of grief and loss, family mental health issues and trauma gave me a personal desire to support people through different life experiences.

Jodie Gale

In the early nineties, I was working at a new age bookstore and crystal shop in Covent Garden in London, when I discovered a book called Swimming with Wild Dolphins. That day, I zipped out at lunch...

Maggie Morgan

I went through counselling myself and it changed my life. When you 'click' with a counsellor you don't feel judged. You feel a genuine closeness. You feel free to talk about anything. You're...

Marie Mooney

* A deep passion and desire to support people to live the life they want for themselves. * Being able to sit with a therapist when I have experienced my own emotional pain, trauma, grief and loss and...

Dana Mitrovic

I had always had a strong interest in understanding people. Not just from a perspective of what makes us struggle, but mostly to understand what makes us each unique. I found that developing my...

Kate Mikhailouskaya

Many personal and professional experiences contributed to my choice of becoming a therapist. It's a life-long process and it's ongoing, but what remains unchangeable is my passion to witness the...

Hope Michaelson

The journey started when I applied to become a nurse and was advised I needed further education. The application process showed me I also had a penchant for mental health as well as physical health,...

Michelle McGee

I often get asked this question and it's a difficult one to answer. I have always felt that the profession chose me rather than the other way round. I didn't grow up thinking that I wanted to be a...

Jacqueline McDiarmid

I was a tricky teenager and I spent some time at the school counsellor's office. I quite liked going to see her and I remembered thinking that I wouldn't mind doing her job. I have always liked the...

Jessica McMillan

I have always had a drive to help people. I have studied body therapies and Traditional Chinese Medicine and eventually decided that my passion was in psychotherapy. This led to a Bachelors degree,...

Karin McLennan

As a former United Nations staff member working in international humanitarian operations for around 20 years, I spent many years living and working in areas of protracted conflict, or responding to...

Geraldine McKay

The values of the profession align with my own so I am able to approach my work with a sense of ease. I appreciate the unique position I am in and it is a privilege to work closely with others in...

Michael Grunwald

I studied General Psychology in my undergraduate degree, specialising later in Work & Organisational Psychology during my time abroad, with a real focus on Cross-Cultural Psychology. However, my...

Emmaline Golding

I moved around a lot growing up, and was always meeting new people and having to make new friends, so I became interested in people, and why we do what we do. I wasn't sure what I wanted to be when I...

Deb Gavan

I LOVE my work with children, young people, adults and families. I became a counsellor and social worker in order to assist people with issues that are overwhelming or hard to make sense of. I deeply...

Jean Gamble

I found such understanding and relief during my own therapy and was able to change unhelpful patterns of behaviour and find more harmony, joy and purpose in life. This success led me to train and work...

Erin Galt

I have always had a keen interest in understanding people and how their minds work. I find practicing psychology and conducting assessments very rewarding, particularly observing client's reaching...

Laura Wilson

I would say that what made me choose psychotherapy as a profession was a fascination for the mind and imagination, as well as deep compassion for suffering.

Elaine Ford

I have always enjoyed helping people find meaning in their lives. During my hospital training as a student nurse, I met many people who faced significant health challenges or struggled to adjust to...

Giulia Fiore

I recently graduated from University with a degree in Marketing and Public Relations when I realised that I wasn't fulfilled and needed a change. Travelling I came across coaching and found my...

Elizabeth Fairbanks

Having been client-side myself for over twelve years (and counting), I have developed a deep passion and curiosity for human healing, transformation and growth. The 'work' of therapy can be...

Miranda Fagan

For me personally I have always been drawn to pursuits that involve curiosity, contemplating the human condition, self-reflection, and personal growth. Counselling as a profession allows me to engage...

Lissette Endacott

Having personally experienced healing through engaging in creative arts therapy and seeing its impact on other peoples' lives I knew that this was the right field for me.

Gregory Egan

I have worked since the late 1990's in the welfare sector across a variety of fields such as child protection, disabilities, drug and alcohol, criminal justice, as well as government, not for profit...

Magdalena Jantac

Having navigated a number of difficult life situations myself, I have developed strong empathy and passion for supporting others.

Karen Druce

My family of origin experiences growing up formed the bedrock of my desire to understand individual differences, personal temperament, human suffering and resilience, in the face of life's storms and...

Penny Downy

After many years working in different caring fields and undergoing my own in-depth personal therapy and reaping the rewards of this, I decided to 'live my passion' and study psychotherapy and...

Ron Dowd

I feel it has chosen me. Although I worked for many years as a software engineer, I was reading Jung in my 20s and was fascinated, though I didn't understand much of it. I guess I was on the common...

Tania Djipalo

I believe we all have a unique gift to offer the world. It was in my own pursuit of peace and purpose I became interested in therapy. Firstly I received it and then I became interested in becoming a...

Nathan Dick

As a manager, leader, parent, uncle and partner over the last 20 years I have found people often seeking me out for advice and support with the challenges of life. After many suggesting that I take up...

Kerriann Dear

As a younger woman, I wanted to understand how to grow and develop myself and challenge things in the system that didn't seem fair and just, and this, eventually, led to a road of self-enquiry to find...

Kate Deakin

Many people had suggested I become a counsellor, including since I was young. But it was really only after I had benefited (and continue to benefit!) from my own therapy that I became drawn to...

Conny Davis

I have always had an interest in how people harness the strength to overcome adversity and how life experiences affect people differently. I have been inspired by working as a volunteer for young...

Bronwyn Davies Glover

I arrived into the world of psychotherapy and counselling through a long history as an artist in social work, youth work, community engagement, violence prevention, harm reduction, trauma work and...

Amy Datyner

I have always been interested in understanding the 'why' behind behaviour. This led me to study psychology at University. After my undergraduate studies I worked in disability employment services,...

Karen Curran

After decades of disassociating from the trauma and becoming seriously ill with no apparent cause, I was led to go on my own deep therapy journey in my late fifties. After much inner work, I finally...

Ivan Cunningham

My years as a trainer for the unemployed naturally progressed into counselling. Many of my students came to me for advice on how to deal with their personal issues, and I found that I had a talent for...

Howard Colin-Thome

I initially become interested in psychology after reading self-help books in my late 20s. I found that I understood and enjoyed reading about human behaviour and psychology and it started from there....

Mairead Cleary

I have been working with people in various capacities for 15 years. But 12 years ago I participated in a therapeutic process that caused a dramatic and life changing shift for me. That was it. I had...

Carlyn Chen

Counselling and psychotherapy are able to assist people to heal the root causes of trauma as well as empower people with skills to thrive in the here and now. Through the therapeutic process, we can...

Mary Cantrill

From a young age, I have always been fascinated by human behaviour and the complexities of the mind. Understanding the intricate workings of the human psyche captivates me, and I am continuously...

Jan Campbell-Thompson

After a life time of traveling widely both geographically and within the land of myself, it was a natural progression.

Kerstin Buccoliero

Being born legally blind and only learning to see at the age of 5, had me set off to a diverse start. Back in the 70s bullying was very common which led to a lot of trauma. Additionally, I developed...

Jocelyn Brewer

I was teaching high school and the opportunity to retrain as a School Counsellor came up and I grabbed it. It was an opportunity to level-up on 'making a difference' in the lives of young people and...

Sharon Bonello

I chose to be a Counsellor when I reached 40 years old and felt like I had a good amount of life experience to offer support to people and ensure confidence with my exposure to all kinds of life...

Steve Bonanno

I have always marveled at the resilience of the human spirit... and I have wondered what conditions must be present to allow someone to overcome adversity. Having experienced good therapy as a...

Christine Bennett

I experience practicing as a relationship and marriage counsellor to be a most rewarding and meaningful career. Helping couples navigate through the many challenges they may face is very satisfying...

Sandy Beech

A breast cancer diagnosis gave me the time and space to understand what my purpose in life was and that began the journey of training in psychotherapy and counseling. I found a deep passion when...

Christopher Basten

I have always had an interest in the human condition - what it means to think and feel. This extended to wanting to understand why some people think and feel differently ina way that causes them pain.

Vivian Baruch

I've had a life-long fascination with what makes people tick. Growing up in a dysfunctional family with a father who had PTSD/complex trauma, I've always searched for the ingredients of a successful...

Leif Lawson

I feel I was always driven to the 'helping professions' from a young age. Being of an introverted nature, I enjoy listening and observing and noticed that this came in handy as I developed and moved...

Duda Baldwin

Since I was a young girl I was drawn to human behaviour. I went on to study sociology in Europe, where I am originally from, as it gave me a broad education on both social behaviour and psychological...

Heather Adams

Life has certainly taught me much and having overcome significant personal and professional challenges, led me to want to support and encourage others who were also struggling and in need of...

Janelle Wright

I became interested in counselling and psychotherapy as a young adult when I realised that the skills and coping strategies I had learned in childhood needed refining. Learning self reflective skills...

John Woodcock

The first indication of my vocation as therapist that I remember occurred in my classroom as a beginning teacher. Other teachers complained loudly about the level of chaos and noise in my classes. I...

Judith Withers

I discovered the importance of understanding why people do certain things, why they feel in certain ways, what to do about it, and how to improve their quality of life.

Veronik Verkest

After a difficult period in my work life, I physically became unwell and was eventually diagnosed with a chronic illness. My habitual way of pushing through difficulties and ignoring my body signals...

Michael Vaccaro

I first received therapy as a teenager as I suffered from insomnia, depression and anxiety. I experienced panic attacks and had no support or practical tools to deal with the massive emotions. I began...

Stacey McCraw

I hold personal values centered around making positive contributions to the community in meaningful ways. I have always believed that mental health is just as important as physical health and should...

Graeme James

I didn't want to be a counsellor or therapist. Initially I worked in marketing. After years of encouragement from a friend I finally became a volunteer Lifeline counsellor way back in 1987. Very...

Jessica Vivien

I had a close sister who committed suicide when we were in our teens, and I first needed to understand how such things can happen, and then to understand how they can be prevented. I then became...

Michelle Lin

I had a hard childhood. It's a cliche I know. I shaped myself to fill that niche - to be what I would have wanted my therapists to be like. I specialise in attachment theory, trauma-informed...

Mia Kennedy

I have always been interested in human behaviour and as I grew older the amount of suffering we can go through as humans became more evident. I am very strength-based by nature and so learning about...

Carol Marando

My own serious mental health issues (a result of early trauma) drove me to find a way to change and heal myself. After trying around 10 different therapists I finally found the right one for me at...

Donald Marmara

I was motivated to train as a somatic psychotherapist following my own experience of anxiety and depression, and the frustration I felt with my lack of success in overcoming them via limited methods...

Gabriele (Gabe) Marranci

I transitioned to psychotherapy from a background in cognitive psychology, anthropology, and applied neuroscience due to my profound passion for helping individuals overcome psychological suffering....

Robyn Mansfield

A deep curiosity and interest in people and the human condition.

David Mandrake

I discovered that everyone tends to deal with the same issues in life, but people handle them differently. I found better ways of managing life's difficulties through personal experience and by...

Clara Luxford

I have always had a deep interest in who we are as human beings and how we live our lives, how we see ourselves in each of our worlds and how we present ourselves to others. This fascination led me to...

Lana Lubimoff

I am interested in a variety of psychiatric and therapeutic modalities including cognitive behavioural, mindfulness, dynamically orientated psychotherapy, couple and family therapy.

Andrew Lindsay

I was practicing Chinese Medicine and became really interested in talking with people about how they were going in their lives. Then I went to some workshops connecting mind and body to psychotherapy...

April Lewis

For many years as a high school teacher, I worked with students who did the best that they could with what their life experiences had dealt them, with students who struggled to achieve their full...

Tessa Ipp

I was going through some issues of my own in my 20's. A good friend suggested I see a wise and insightful Clinical Social Worker, Bev. She had such a profound impact on my life that I decided to...

Tracey Larkin

I've always been an empathic person and deeply interested in how people cope with difficult life experiences, and how friendships, partners and family influence our growth and identity.

Natasha Lawrence

I have always loved listening to people and understanding what motivates them. This love led me to do my own therapeutic work to gain a deeper insight into myself. While depression, anxiety,...

Kelsey Hendrickson

A lifelong interest in people and what makes us humans tick is what first drew me to study psychology as a Bachelor's Degree in the U.S. I've always been keen to understand why people act the way they...

Martin Hemsley

I have always had a caring attitude and curiosity about people. I have a close family member with Schizophrenia and wanted to know how to be useful for people experiencing extreme states of...

Geoff Heard

I first studied massage, and was intrigued at the way people would, week after week, re-create in their bodies the tensions I had massaged away the week before. This led me to investigate the...

Sue Hawkins

I wanted people to be really listened to and to learn how to empower themselves through changing their thinking, their situation, their actions and learning how to communicate well to maximize their...

Megan Haire

While raising a family in the outback and experiencing a lot of difficulties first hand or through close friends, I became interested in what makes some people vulnerable and other people resilient in...

Heather O'Neill

Whilst working as a Registered Nurse, I became interested in human behaviour and peoples psyche. I was always curious and wondered why people reacted the way they did. I also questioned my own...

Cherie Dorotich

I chose to become a psychologist to help people improve their lives by alleviating emotional, psychological and relational pain.

John Dallimore

Mid life brought about big changes in my life. One day I had well paying job and a career in St Georges Terrace. The next day I was retrenched along with many others. Even though I had reached the top...

Oliver Brooke

My personal experience of being supported by a counselling professional. Experiencing anxiety and depression as a young person led me to access a counsellor. It was my first experience with an adult...

Dian Abdurachman

-My own soul-searching has led to long life exploration of inner and outer life. -I am fascinated by the vastness of the psyche. -Psychotherapy is the skill I have to share my contribution to the...

David Indermaur

A deep interest in how the mind works and why people do what they do. My first concern was to understand why some people hurt other people. The deeper my explorations went I found that the way we...

Sonia Scussel

I find it fascinating to understand how our mind works, how the brain develops. I've been in therapy for a few years, and it cleared my mind. I started learning to become a counsellor later in life,...

Carolyn Spillett

My childhood experiences and my curiosity about human interactions formed the basis of my decision to become a counsellor/psychotherapist.

Debra Sumner

As a people's person I love to interact with a broad range of individuals from multi cultured and diverse backgrounds, I found people asking me how did I achieve the things I had done. This included...

Mark Walker

I was drawn to psychotherapy out of curiosity, to make sense of myself and other people in a caring, helpful way. I'd studied and practiced a variety of therapeutic approaches - art and Sandplay...

Katie Beckwith

I have been interested in mental health since I was in school, and as I studied psychology in university and experienced therapy as a client, I found I was always looking for something that went...

Jon Nielsen

I spent many years volunteering with Lifeline as a telephone crisis supporter. It was an absolute privilege to be able to listen to people's stories and to be invited into their lives for a brief...

Alicja Weidner

As a teenager I really enjoyed being with people, spending hours in conversations, getting to know others and myself. This love and interest in people led me to pursue further studies. Just prior...

Tanya Robinson

My experiences and childhood in Africa shaped my passion to help others and to work in the helping profession. I am an African-Australian mental health entrepreneurial woman. I aspire to take on every...

Sarah Short

I love that I have the privilege to help other people when they have lost their way in life. I have seen many counsellors in the past and they have assisted me greatly and i am honored that i get to...

Priya Rajan

I was drawn to a career in psychotherapy/counseling due to a deep passion for helping others navigate their mental and emotional challenges. This was inspired from personal experiences with therapy...

Melis Topsahin

I have always had a natural pull towards assisting individuals around me throughout various situations. Now, actually having the skills and tools to be able to assist others, has given me a true...

Gabby Skelsey

An interest in the resilience of peoples' coping styles and a desire to learn how they have developed over their lifetime.

Irene Rose

I am passionate about working with the human condition and consider it a great privilege to be able to help individuals, couples and families to create a better life, relationships and future for...

Benjamin Shields

It is a cliche, but I was one of those kids who wanted to 'help people' when he grew up. I couldn't think of any other profession that was as direct in this sense, as the work of a psychologist. So,...

Deborah Schou

It's been a long journey. I did a psychology degree in my 20s, and as a sub-major studied philosophy and religious studies subjects. I learnt so much, but had serious issues with the diagnostic and...

Michelle Morris

From a young age I have been very interested in people and fascinated by people's stories. I remember when I was around 10 years old being very moved by the film The Three Faces of Eve, about a woman...

Penelope Lovegrove

I wanted to be a psychologist since high-school always having a strong desire to help those under emotional and mental distress. I completed the undergraduate training in psychology however the...

Grace Lee

I reached a point a few years ago, and having raised a family and learned to help my kids through their tough times, I thought I might be able to use those experiences to help others. So I applied to...

Denise Tsirtsakis

One of the reasons why I chose this profession was because I always had a strong desire to help others and to assist people with the challenges of daily living. Therapy also creates positive change....

Sophie Swart

I chose a counselling as a career due to a desire to help others overcome personal challenges and improve their mental health and well-being. Additionally, I have always had a strong interest in the...

Jonathan Tandos

Most of my life people have been coming to me to share their stories and issues. In my first experience as a client in counselling I felt inspired and began to consider whether I wanted to be a...

Dee Kumbukage

Since I was a little girl, I have always been passionate about understanding and supporting others on their journey of personal growth and well-being. I was naturally drawn to listening to people's...

Denise Howells

I have had a lifetime interest in well-being, personal growth and development. I have had many wonderful work opportunities and these opportunities led me to understand that I wanted work in the...

Volker Krohn

In my 20s I embarked on a journey of trying to find my Self'. Having grown up in a good upper middle class family in Germany, I could not find any life satisfaction from participating in the consumer...

Dee Hardy

A healthy curiosity of human behaviour, not 'why' but 'how' someone comes to be who they are and what manifests due to life experiences. I like people - prior to my formal qualifications, I have...

Christina Kioulafas

I always thought I was a good communicator but I wasn't sure what to do with that skill. I stumbled to counselling and realised that it was about so much more than that. It was about listening,...

Sarah Kane Lawson

I have always reached out to those around me in need of help. In my 20s I realized I myself needed help and this was the start of a wonderful journey of self-discovery and healing. I now look back on...

Yael Clark

As a teacher I found I was far more interested in my students' wellbeing than the curriculum. I naturally found myself counseling and decided I really should be qualified to do so!

Anugrah Bhagwat

I find the internal worlds' of people beautiful and fascinating and so since I was a teenager I was always curious to learn and understand as much as I could about human behaviour. I just knew in my...

Marvel Adeyemi

I realised that some of my friends and family ask me for advise about their relationships or situations. They say that I am insightful, objective, have good listening skills and empathetic. So I...

Robin Wilkinson

Like many therapists, I've come into my profession through my own healing journey. But I've always been a space holder for people. I'm the one people turn to when they need to discuss something or...

Brian Whiter

For as long as I can remember, I have wondered about the meaning of life. My curiosity about why and how we slip into unstable mental health, and then remain in those unhealthy patterns for indefinite...

Steve White

I decided on a career as a Psychotherapist & Counsellor as a result of a very successful and fruitful period of personal therapy, following a deep depression.

Michele Watson

I believe in people's potential and knew I wanted to help people. I studied psychology at university and then went looking for something more meaningful to me and that's when I enrolled in the...

Sharn Waldron

I initially trained as an archaeologist but after having young children I discovered counselling and psychotherapy and after having some therapy which changed the direction of my life I went on to...

Natalie Incledon

I love people, their stories, struggles, triumphs and individual characters and personalities. I find nothing more rewarding than seeing my clients improve in their wellbeing.

M.Rose Hoey

I am a Registered Nurse and Midwife who does counselling and Psychotherapy. I found that as patients talked about their problems and difficulties, the only tools I had available were to reframe their...

Nina Green

After starting a postgraduate degree in Psychology, I realised I was much more interested in the counselling conversation than the rats and stats research-based approach of formal Psychology, so I...

Marcus Dally-Law

I had considered moving into mental health at different times in my life, but it wasn't until 2012, when I was diagnosed with testicular cancer that I had the real 'aha' moment that made me turn my...

John Devling

In my twenties I was a special education art teacher, awakening to the inner world's of my students and to the therapeutic elements of creative expression in whatever form: art, crafts, music, song,...

Jane Devilliers

My belief that we can be healed using the creative process, based on the principles of Carl Jung, A deep curiosity in research in order to consider and practise new ways of assisting others, A...

Sudhir Dean

I was blessed to have an existential crisis at a very early age. It threw me into doubting all that I had been educated to believe was meaningful and true. The outcome of this was that I began a...

Kate Culy

I have found counselling essential to my wellbeing due to some difficult earlier experiences. I don't see myself as different to anybody else and I think this gives me a real sense of humility and...

Loretta Bell

Many things probably led me to be a therapist, but my most motivating force was wanting to find a job that fitted within my humanistic values.

Tracy Clark

Psychotherapy and counselling was a natural progression for me after leaving my nursing career. I volunteered as a lifeline crisis counsellor for 5 years and discovered my passion and love of enabling...

Dalit Bar

I am passionate about working with people to achieve meanings in their life and helping make positive changes.

Nicky Angelone

I had a moment of passion in 2015 (at 43 years old), for the first time in my life, where I realised my calling was to support people experiencing emotional issues that were negatively impacting their...

Julia McKenzie Palmer

For some of us it is a calling. Not where we purposefully started but where we find ourselves.

Darius Leo

When I was 17 I was walking through an opp shop with a friend and came across a book on psychology. As I was flicking through the pages I thought that it looked interesting. I paid 70c for it and took...

Jane Faulkner

My own journey, I was looking to heal my physical and personal issues. I kept getting stuck and didn't know what to do with my feelings when they came up so I decided to study Gestalt therapy. Also, I...

Matt Dale

As a Psychologist I am driven by the desire to help individuals navigate their way through complex human challenges. I chose psychology as a profession because of my passion to learn more about the...

Marie Carmody

I build instant rapport with people and have always been a listener'. I am passionate about helping people to find their true potential and build a more cohesive sense of self.

Romana Bowd

When my dad was diagnosed with cancer (parietal lobe tumour) I watched his struggle with the diagnosis and then the need for him to face his mortality. I also watched as an older teen how the will to...

Donna Neck

I have always been attracted to the helping professions, first in my nursing and whilst nursing I recognised that I was doing a lot to allay the anxiety of patients with their health issues. Hence, I...

Gregg Palmer

My own personal journey through the landscape of trauma and spirituality.

Connie Reed

My background as a Health Project Coordinator working with homeless and disadvantaged young people and vulnerable children and parents. This was highly rewarding, very challenging and energising work.

Emily Rotta

I came into the profession after many years of volunteering my time with homeless people and street kids. This experience inspired me to study counselling formally and to use my skills to work with...

Michelle McClintock

It definitely chose me. It was my first love. Coaching has become my second love. I feel very blessed to have had a career doing what brings me joy.

Alison Keane

I chose counselling and psychotherapy as a profession because ever since a young child I have always felt the emotional pain of others (not understanding that was what it was back then!) and at the...

Daisy Dollisson-Oatley

Before being a psychotherapist I was a farmer. Whilst working with people on my farm I found myself inadvertently holding therapeutic spaces for people and also others for me. The dropping into...

Mark De Calmer

Life experiences along with years of significant trauma led me to a very dark place. I found ways to cope and to help others out of the darkness to a brighter life. It became a passion to see others...

Claire Stephensen

As a child I dreamed of being a dancer or musician and in my teens, I was drawn to health. It was during my early 20s that I realised that it is impossible to separate mental health from the arts -...

Sigrid O'Callaghan

Raised by war traumatised parents my search for meaning began as a young woman. I was attracted by the ideas of existential philosophy, feminism, Buddhism and Jungian Psychoanalysis.

Sarah Harwood

Since I was a little girl I have always been the person that people would confide in. When I started teaching music at the age of 16 my students would often talk to me about difficulties at home or...

Astrid de Ruiter

I was born in the Netherlands and migrated to Australia in my late thirties. I have always had a strong drive to understand the world, and to contribute something meaningful to that world. At the...

Laurie Brotherstone

I always gravitated to work that involved helping people and becoming a psychologist enabled me in train professionally in a field so I knew what I was doing was evidence based and could really help...

Sarah Bergman

I have always been interested in talking with and getting to know people. I am very curious about myself and others. What makes us unhappy and happy? How do our relationships with ourselves and others...

Natajsa Wagner

Becoming a psychotherapist was actually a career change for me. My background prior to this was working in the corporate sales sector. I began my journey in psychotherapy when I started to ask the big...

Niki Gelekis

I began my career as a Naturopath and noticed that many people's health concerns had root causes in emotional and relational pain. This led me down the path of studying counselling and then...

Louise Jansz

A lifelong quest to understand the ways people develop meaning and purpose in their lives for enrichment and as a consequence discover unique ways to live beyond the material and superficial...

Steven Segal

My passion for psychotherapy emerged out of my own experience of being a client in therapy in my mid 20's. Going to psychotherapy made a big difference to myself. I then began studying psychology and...

Johanna Waugh

My therapist told me I would make a good therapist, since I have the ability to understand people and empathise with them. I am also easy to talk to and approach.

Neha Kapoor

I chose psychotherapy and counselling as my profession because of my strong desire to assist people in overcoming life's obstacles. My passion for mental health and human relationships, coupled with...

Heather Cavill Greer

Mainly my own healing journey inspired me to help others. I am fascinated by the power of the mind, and the ability we all have to survive and heal ourselves. I have always enjoyed listening and...

Brenda Rowlandson

My own experience of psychotherapy when I found myself in a crisis situation. I became more and more intrigued as I explored my unconscious process, my dreams and 'what lies beneath' and how my...

Helen Basili

Social justice has always been very important to me and social work was a way of enacting these values.

Arna Stewart

I have always been a curious observer of others so psychology made sense because it is a study of human experience and behaviour. Becoming a psychologist and counsellor has been a natural and...

Peter Howie

I found people so interesting and then I found that following that interest turned out to be a form of therapy as well. I was exploring myself through psychodrama groups when I realised that I wanted...

Dinah Buchanan

I initially had several personal crises that I sought counselling for and was incredibly moved by the quality of the support that was offered to me by my counsellor. I originally started my working...

Kim Bailey

It chose me. No, just kidding. But for the books, I was at a crossroad in my life and needed, yes needed to find a vocation that was meaningful and one that is also sense making. 10 years down the...

Steven Dromgool

I went into therapy because of a desire to make a positive difference in the world and doubting I had the patience to make it as a high school teacher. I moved into specialising in couples therapy out...

Jeannene Eastaway

Possibly the main thing that has caused me to choose this field of work is that I find people interesting and wonderful. The more I have learnt about people, their patterns and ways of survival, the...

Rosie Burgess

I have always been interested in helping people live the lives they want to live. I don't think life needs to be lived a particular way, but I do know we're happiest when we're living it our way. My...

Bhakti De Bon

Many other forms of support are only accessible if the client defines themselves through their problems, ie support for people with a diagnosed Mental Illness, Homelessness, Family Violence, etc....

Mark McMahon

I have been a listener and observer all of my life, and find that fits well with the values of trust, empathy and compassion needed when in the privileged position of working with clients. I am...

Carol Farnell

My experience of trying to find support for my children during a very traumatic time in our lives compelled me to return to study to become a psychologist with a passion for supporting children to...

Katie Watson

I have been interested in human behaviour since I was a young girl. However it wasn't until I had many years of life experiences that I felt counselling was my true calling. I worked in aged care and...

Katharine Northall

My Mother died very suddenly and unexpectedly. I sought some bereavement counselling and it changed my life. Going through a grieving process like this gave me a different perspective. My counsellor...

Chris Chicoteau

Having for as long as I remember an ability to help people make sense of and respond to life's challenges I decided to make a career of it.

Tim Clark

In my work as a teacher, I was finding more and more that people (students and colleagues alike) would come to me seeking guidance on things other than curriculum. I found I really enjoyed helping...

Sarah Tuckett

Back in 2006 I spiraled down into depression and anxiety due to chronic stress at work. Thankfully I saw an Integrative GP who took into account my lifestyle, nutrition and underlying health issues...

Corinne Lindsell

I have always been in the Helping profession, since I was in high school (working in recreation programs for people with disabilities). This led me to work overseas in a Summer Camp in USA for...

Patrick Moloney

When I was young certain people in my life were great role models. One person in particular was accepting of some of my issues and was great to talk to. As I grew older and wiser I developed a belief...

Christine Vickers

I was curious to learn more about myself, and through this became interested in working in this field.